Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Desert Sands Unified previews updated home-to-school transportation plan, highlights SB 88 safety rules and electric-bus pilot
Summary
Director of transportation presented an informational Home-to-School Transportation Service Plan outlining 59 daily routes serving more than 2,850 students, fleet composition, SB 88 safety changes effective 07/01/2025, and a small electric-bus pilot expected next school year.
The Desert Sands Unified School District presented its updated Home-to-School Transportation Service Plan on March 3 as an informational item ahead of a formal action planned for March 17. Apollo Del Toro, the district's director of transportation, told the board the draft plan is intended to meet Education Code 39800.1 requirements and to prioritize safe, reliable routes for the district's most vulnerable learners.
Del Toro said the district currently operates 59 routes daily, serving over 2,850 students, and maintains a fleet of 91 buses: 43 general-education buses and 48 special-needs buses. He said about 580 students are transported by municipal transit under coordination with SunLine Transit Agency. "Our goal is to ensure every student has a safe, reliable, and equitable way to get to school with a specific focus on our most vulnerable learners," Del Toro said.
The presentation summarized service priorities the district uses to assign bus service, including minimum walking distances by grade level (3/4 mile for TK 'K to grade 2, 1.5 miles for grades 3 '5, and three miles for grades 6 '8) and no-cost transportation requirements for students with disabilities under IEPs and for qualifying homeless youth under the McKinney-Vento Act.
Del Toro flagged one compliance change central to the plan: Senate Bill 88, effective July 1, 2025. "SB 88 extends a high safety standard to any compensated driver, including those in small vans and SUVs," he said, explaining the law requires background checks, TB testing, medical exams and that any bus used for student transportation undergo a professional safety inspection every 12 months or 50,000 miles.
Board members asked about fuel types and the district's plans for electric buses. Del Toro said the 40-foot general-education buses run on compressed natural gas (CNG); the district operates six propane buses and the remaining Type A buses run on unleaded fuel. "We have a mandate by 2035 to have electric buses," he said, and noted the district has an active grant for six electric special-needs (Type A) buses expected to be delivered around August. He described charging strategies: many Type A buses return to the transportation yard between runs, enabling overnight and opportunistic daytime charging; manufacturers estimate roughly a 100-to-120-mile range for the buses discussed.
Del Toro said the district worked with SunLine Transit Agency and South Coast Air Quality Management District when preparing the plan and invited input from drivers, classified staff, parents and community members via a posted link; the board will consider the plan at its March 17 meeting.
No formal action was requested at the March 3 meeting; the presentation was placed in the agenda's informational section to solicit public comment ahead of potential adoption.
